Removing Toner Stains from Carpeting

There is one major drawback to having a copy machine in your home or office, and that is when you happen to drop the toner cartridge and it creates a mess. All it seems to take is one careless moment, a brief spat of the butter fingers with the refill kit, and you have a powdered ink stain that seems virtually impossible to remove. However, the key word here is virtually. Removing toner stains from carpeting is entirely possible, as long as you follow a few simple steps.

1. Start vacuuming. Begin removing toner stains from carpeting by pulling out the vacuum. By using a simple vacuum you can get up quite a bit of the loose toner. This will help ensure that you don't spread the stain further than you would really want. Keep in mind one thing though, and that is that you may need to clean the vacuum head to prevent any transferring of toner when you use it again later on.
2. Create a cleanser. After you have removed as much of the toner as is possible begin making a cleanser that you will use to begin cleaning the toner stain with. This cleanser needs to be mixed in a bowl that can hold about two cups of water. In the bowl begin mixing one tablespoon of liquid hand soap and two cups of cold water. Mix the ingredients together until there is a light froth of bubbles.
3. Sponge up the stain. Grab a clean white rag and dip it into the cleanser. Wring out the cloth so that it is damp but not dripping wet. Take the cloth and begin sponging up the stain. Do not press too hard while you are doing this, or you could end up spreading the stain around.
4. Blot the stain. Using a separate clean white cloth, begin blotting the stained area until the liquid, and the cleanser, has been absorbed. Continue to do this until the stained area is no longer wet, but simply a little damp.
5. Repeat as necessary. Repeat steps three and four until the stain has completely disappeared. Do not be surprised if you have to change the cleaning rags several times during the course of this method of cleaning. It is only natural, and should be done regularly to avoid potentially spreading the stain around.
6. Sponge the area. Get a new bowl of clean, cold water and another clean white rag. Use these to sponge the stained area until it is damp, but not completely soaked. As you do this take the time to double check the rag to ensure that there is no sign of the toner coming up. If you do happen to notice any toner coming up, then be sure to stop this step and immediately go back and repeat steps three through five.
7. Blot the area. After having sponged and rinsed the area that was stain, use another clean rag to blot the area. Continue to blot the area until you have completely dried the area and it feels dry to the touch.